1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to network communications, and in particular, to reducing network traffic to border systems in the event of network communication surges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Service providers typically provide services over service networks to customer devices. Some examples of services are telephony, data services, on-demand video and other multimedia services. Oftentimes, access providers provide access for devices to service networks over access networks.
Border systems provide an interface between access networks and service networks. Border systems can comprise a plurality of border elements, each of which communicates in a control protocol with the devices. Additionally, border elements receive control traffic transmitted by devices, and send control traffic to a session control system (SCS). The SCS exchanges control traffic with the devices to control the session for the particular service that a device requires.
Border systems also send update messages to an SCS indicating the level of congestion on individual border elements. This enables the SCS to balance the load of control traffic for a border system amongst the border elements. Lacking this capacity, border elements could become congested, stop sending control traffic to the SCS, and service to the devices would suffer.
A border element could become congested through hardware or software failures. The processors in the border elements, or the communication lines into the border system could be overwhelmed by control traffic from devices. The software controlling the communication (control protocol) could also be overwhelmed and hinder the ability of the border system to send control traffic to an SCS, thereby degrading the quality of service provided.
Oftentimes however, load balancing is inadequate to prevent border element failures. In the event of communication surges, such as high-volume call events, popular pay-per-view events or multimedia webcasts, all the border elements in a border system could become congested. Without a border element to relieve control traffic on the congested border elements, the quality of services provided is degraded.